Skylight structure.



No. 854.235. PATBNTED MAY 21, 1907. w. F. PLAss.

SKYLIGHT STRUGTURE.

APPLIOATIoI FILED 31115, 1907.

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Wi b1 una @Hotmail UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

' WILLIAM F. PLAss,V oF NEW YORK, N. Y.

State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Skylight l Structures, of which the following is a specition to the form of fication.

My invention relates to improvements in skylight structures, and has articular rela-v support fldr the panes of glass.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide means for cushioning the panes of glass and at the same time prevent the passage of the water due to condensation, etc., beyond a point where it will drip into one of the drip-carrying channels.

Another object is the provision of a supporting member which is of 4great strength and durability, readily assembled with the remaining parts of the structure, and of minimum cost of manufacture and installation.

Other and further objects will a pear as the invention is hereinafter disclose To these and other ends, the invention con sists in the improved construction and cornbination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, in which similar reference characters indicate similar parts in all of the views,Figure 1 is a perspective sectional view showing a portion of a skylight structure embodying one of the features of my invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view showing a modified arrangement of openings. Fig. 3 is a'transverse sectional vie'w taken through one of the supports rovided at the edges of the panes of glass, t e structure being that preferred by me. Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7 are views similar to Fig. 3, but showing various modifications in the f orm of the supporting member and drip-carrying channels.

In the construction of skylights a number of difficulties are encountered ,f each of which must be overcome before a practical result can be obtained.A Among these are thefollowingz-The requirement of the use of a relatively strong supporting member of a medium` weight, practically requiring that it be formed of metal. As metal, as well as glass, is sensitive to changes in temperature, there is a constant liability of breakage, due4 to ex- Specication of Letters Patent.

Application filed-January 15, 1907. Serial No. 352,428. l

` and glass as light as SKYLIGHT STRUCTURE.

Patented May 21, 1907.

pansion and contraction, especially where the glass and metal parts are brought into contact. ally such as to causev edges of the glass and `the supporting member to overlap the points of contact are subject to change whenever these parts contract or expand, the contraction and expansion being in op osing directions in the contacting parts. o therefore sulpport the panes of glass directly on the meta 1c member is deleterious. .To overcome this objection, the panes of glass have been mounted on a non-metallic material interposed between the metal member and the glass in such manner as to support the glass.- Inthe ormer case, the inter osed material isgenerally putty with the object of making the contact of the metal ossible, as well as to prevent the passage o moisture; the use of utty permits the formation of a non-metallic contact, as it must be placed in position while relatively plastic, and the weight of the glass as well as the operation of securing the cap infplace displacing the putty to such an extent as to leave the glass in contact with the metal. Where the glass is wholly supported by such interposed material, generally a suitable felted structure, the material absorbs the' dri pings until it is thoroughly impregnated, w ereu on the weight of the glass tends to force tile drippings out of the material along its edges, forming globules on the glass which pass along the under surface of the panes to some point of collection from which they drop, this point generally being outside of the drip-carrying channels formed in the su porting member; the same effect is producefwhere the material is waterproofed. And where the material -is not of suflicient size to support the glass out of contact with the metal under all circumstances, the weight will gradually crush the material to an extent which will permit the contact of glass and metal;

To overcome these difficulties, I prevent the contact of the'metal and panes of glass by the use of a felted strip or strips located in a channel or channels formed in the supporting member, the material being of a size to not only fill the channel but to extend above it a suicient distance to provide for any crush-4 artly or wholly IOC top of the edges of such channel or channels,

the contracted space causing the globules to be broken up prior to the passage of the water over thel er ges, the water passing into the strip or the channel, from which it passes through drip openings in the strip and the channel into thel lower drip-carrying channels, Should any water'pass over the edges ol' the channel, it will be in such form as to practically remain on the outer surface of the channeled portion of the upper part of the supporting member, from where it will drip down into the-lower channel or channels; the

dripping of globules outside of thev supporting member is prevented.

ln cach of the forms of ,the invention shown in the drawings, there is shown the use of the perforated felted material and its. erforated channeled support, but this particular structure is best shown in detail in Figs. 1 and 2, and I will therefore refer first to these figures in the description of the invention.

A designates a supporting member, a portion of which is shown in Fig. 1. Said member has, either formed integral therewith or carried thereby, an u per drip-carrying channel ayto receive the fe ted strip B, the strip being of a greater thickness than the depth of the channel. The channel is provided at suitable intervals with openings or perforations a which may or may not register with similar openings or perforations b in the strip B, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the number and proximity of the openings being provided as desired or found necessary.

It will be understood that water due-to condensation, etc., may be absorbed by the felted material from which it asses into the channel a and through openings a in the channel, the openings b providing for the rapid discharge of the water from the material, thereby preventing an accumulation of water and tending to prevent the forming of globules along the outer edge of the material in position where they would be able to pass along the under surface of the glass. The panes of glass C are shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and it will be readily understood that the top edges of the channeled portion, while not in contact with the under surface ofthe glass, are spaced relatively thereto but a slight distance, the distance being less than that required for the passage of an ordinary drop or globule of water.

Referring now to the remaining figures of the drawings, the member A may be formed of a single part or a plurality of parts. In Fig. 3, which is my preferred form, I have shown the member as formed of a singlel part, having a central web a2 with laterally extending wings a3 extending outward a suiiicient distance to receive any drippings which may drop from the outer edge of the channel portion a. If desired, the bottom of the member may be formed flat as shown at a4, to

ermit of convenience in erection. A meinlier so formed is relatively strong and capable of supporting a heavy weight, while being of relatively light weight itself. In practice I may use a bar of a height up to and including six inches, the latter size permitting of a length of about lif teen feet. The panes of glass, designated as C, rest on the felted strip B and are retained in position by any suitable means, as by a cap D which extends over the opposing edges of the adjacentl In Fig. 4 the member A is formed in .two v parts, the lower part, designated as a5 being relatively U-shaped, forming a drip-carrying channel. Suitably secured to the part a5 is a sheet metal structure a bent to form the channel a. In this form, I prefer to provide a central depression or groove a7 in which are formed openings for the passage of the lower end of pin E, said lower end being adapted to receive a nut e. This depression may also be provided with drip openings, if desired. However, the depressed portion a7 may be omitted, should its presence be unnecessary.

In Fig. 5, the member A is formed of a plurality of parts, consisting of the lower part a5, U-shaped in cross-section, spaced stirrups a8 located therein, a flat iron plate a extending parallel with the lower part a5, and a channel member al located on the plate a, the channel member, in this form, serving the same `urpose as the channel a heretofore described. n this structure the pin E .is secured to the stirrup.

In each of the above-described forms the felted material is in the form of a single strip located in a single channel. In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown tWo spaced strips of felted material located in separate channels. In the form shown in Fig. 6, the lower part is U- shaped in cross-section,a as heretofore described and designated as a5, while the upper part consists of a plate a having upwardly extending flanges a forming the edges of the channels for the felted material. In Fig. 7, the lower member a5 is V-shaped in crosssection, while the upper part a is similar to that shown 'in Fig. 6 with the addition of the downwardly extending flanges als, the lat'ter being for strengthening purposes. The latter may, however, be omltted, if desired. In each of these structures the pin E has its lower end secured in the plate au.

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It is to be understood that the structures shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7, the parts carried by the lower part a are secured thereto in vany suitable manner, as by bolts, screws, etc.

the drippings that may pass through the botnels ofthe lower member is tom of channel a or over the edges thereof; that the construction is of great strength and durability and readily erected and repaired; that contact of the panes of glass and the metallic parts is prevented; and that the passage of drops or globules of water to a point where they would drop outside of the chanpractically prevented,

Having now described my invention, what 'I claim as new is:

1.- A skylight structure comprising a supporting member having provislon for receiving and carryino` of the drippings, a perforated non-metalIic cushion for the glass, the upper ends of the perforations being beneath the glass,^said cushion being carried by the member, and means for retaining the glass in contact with the cushion.

2. A skylight structure comprising a supporting member having provision for receiving and carrying off the dri pings, a perforated cushion for the. lass, tlrie upper Aends of the perforations bein beneath the glass, said cushion bein carrie \by the member and formed of a fe ted material, and means for retaining the glass in contact with the cushion.

3. A skylight structure comprising a sup- I porting member having (provision for receiving an carrying olf the rippings, felted material carried by said member for supporting the glass, said4 material being perforated for the passage of drippings, the u per ends of the perforations being beneath t ie glass, and means for retaining the glass in contact with the material.

4. A skylight structure comprising a supporting member having a depressed portion to form a drip-carrying channel, said channel having dri openings, a felted cushion located in said channel for wholly sup orting the glass, the edges of the channe being spaced from the under surface of the'glass a i istan'ce which will prevent the free passage .bodily of globules of moisture between the glass and the channel edges, and means for retaining the glass in contact with the cushion.

5. A skyli ht structure comprising a supporting mem er having an u per and a lower drip receiving and carrying c annel, the lower channel receiving drippings from the upper channel, a felted cushlon located in the'u per channel, said cushion being 'perforate at points below the glass and extending above the to plane of the edges of the upper channel, wiiereby the lass will contact solely with the cushion, an 4means for retaining the glass in contact with the cushion.

6. A skylight structure comprising a sup-- porting member having an upper and a lower drip' receiving and carrying channel, the lower channel receiving the dri in s from the upper channel, a -felted cus ion ocated in the upper channel, said cushion being perforated at points below the glass and extending above the top plane of the edges of the upper channel, whereby the glass will contact solely with the cushion, the edges of said upper channel being spaced from the under surface of the glass a distance which will pre- ,vent the free bodily passage of globules of water Between the glass and the top of the channel edges, and means for retaining the glass in contact with the cushion.

7. A skylight structure comprising a suporting member consistin of upper and lbwer channeled parts, theflower part being of a width greater than the width of the upper' part and positioned in a manner to receive the drip ings from the upper part, the top of the edges of the upper part being paced from the under surface of the glass a istance which will prevent the free bodily passage of globules of water between the glass and the to of the channel edges, felted material locate in the channel of the upper art for supporting the glass, said material eing perforated at' points below the glass and means for retaining-the glass in contact with th /material In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

SAMUEL A. JENKINS, E. C. PAULUS.

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